Plumbing fixture



Jan. 25, 1949/ H, GRUEN 2,400,005

PLUMBING FIXTURE Filed March 11, 1947 I I 0, 'q- 4- 4 3 0 INVENTOR.

. I HENRY GRUEN Patented Jan. 25, 1949 v UNITED? STATES; OFFICE;-

PLoMBm-o Henry Gruen, New ZYiSrk, N. Y. i

AppiicatiomMarch-fl, 194a seriaiivm 733,968 3 Claims (o1. 4-4-91) The invention relates generally"ton-plumbing; fixtnres and more particularlyrto a prefabricated; wall insert unit for a bathroom; which provides. utility compartmentsior soap: and bathing accesseries and serves asan open iront 'housing for5anx. 5 assembly of valve handles that :controls :the super ply of hot and cold water for-'ithe:tubtandashower; both the unit and the handle assembly therein, being inset so as not to project beyond flush relation with the outer 'surfaceofthe-"wall.

The primary purpose and object of the invention is to obviate the danger or injury from ..pro-. J'ecting faucets and their handlesinor about'the tub and at the'same time; make ;th'em.t conveniently accessible for operation by the persons-use ing the vtub or shower. I r

A further object is to provide-.aeomplete.assembly of bath conveniences andaeeessories inLa fixture, that may be set'andbonded ass-annihin a single wallrecess, flush 'withlthe outer surface of the wall, and which may be-thereaiter. 1'8"! moved in part to give access to valves, pipe connections, etc, for purposes of inspection and repair, without breaking or otherwise disturbing: the bond. 7

The unit is preferably formed as a two-part porcelain-lined casting, the main part of which is set and suitably secured in the wall recess as a permanent fixture and, in addition to providing an inset open front housing for the valve handles of the water supply, has utility compartments formed in part with it. The other part of the casting carries the valve handle assembly and is removably secured in an opening of the main casting and provided around the edge withan ornamental bead that overlaps the edge of the opening and, in concealing its outline, gives an efiect to the joined parts of a single casting.

Other features of the invention not specially mentioned above, will be brought to attention in the detailed description that follows.

The accompanying drawings will serve to illustrate a unit construction suitable for carrying the invention into effect but it will be understood that no limitations are intended by this showing other than are imposed by the appended claims.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 shows the unit in front elevation as it appears when secured and bonded in a recess of a tiled wall of a bathroom.

Fig. 2 is a horizontal cross section through the unit, on the line s -s of Fig. .1, and

Figs. 3 and t are similar views respectively on the lines s s and s -s of Fig. 1.

Referring now to the drawings, the unit l is shown:suitablyrsecured to the wall :studding or otherwisaain a recess? in thewallof a bathroom. andrat' 'a. height: above the tub (not shown) to'bewithin convenientreach of .a person sitting. or

standingltherein.

Throughout the outer edge of. the limit, a groove:

3 is formed to receive cement-itiousmaterial by which the'xgrooved iedge 10f ithe. unit is permanently b0nded; .in':tflush' relationtto'. the wall; facing; of: tile, 'plaster zor zothenlmaterial.

The unit may be given any geometrical form in outline but is preferably shaped as shownzto 'save time andlabon inrcutti-ng and fitting the tile,- which are .commonlytused' as the wall facing;

front compartments ofsuitabledepth, the upper once-serving for toilet accessories, the middle one 1, as .a-housing :for :aevalvehandle assembly, by which the rwater supply for-the tub through the spout ii a and for :the'shower is controlled-and the lower one 8, for soap, brushes and the like;

The upper wall of the lower compartment is cut away in the rear as shown at ii in Fig. 2, to provide clearance, and the forward portion is thick ened and rounded, as indicated at 9, for use as a handheld, within convenient reach of a person using the tub.

Forming the second part of the unit, there is a plate I0, which carries the valve handle assembly I l, and is removably fitted in an opening l2 of the main casting 5. The plate is provided with a projecting bead l3 around the edge, that overlaps and conceals the edge of the opening and, in addition to being ornamental, in outlining the plate as a panel, gives the unit the finished appearance of a one-piece casting.

Openings M are formed in the 'plate for the passage of tubular extensions 55 from the valve casings (not shown), which loosely enclose the inner portion of the valve stems IS. The outer ends of the valve stems project beyond the tubular extensions for the attachment of the handles ll, which are removably secured thereto in any well known manner. Four valve handles are shown which, 'through suitable pipe connections (not shown), cooperate in pairs, in the usual manner, to supply hot and cold water to the tub and shower. While the valve handles are compactly assembled on the plate ill, they are spaced apart sufl'lciently for convenient manipulation separately.

Constructed as above described, the handle assembly does not project beyond flush relation with the outer surface of the room wall.

Formed in part with the plate I 0 and projecting outwardly therefrom, as continuations of the openings 14 in the plate, there are bellshaped sleeves l8,- which serve as ornamental casings for the tubular extensions I5. The bellshaped casings extend to or slightly beyond the outer ends of the tubular extensions and are engaged by flanges 19 of tubular nuts 29, which are threaded in or on the ends of the extensions.

By screwing the nuts down on the tubular extensions, the pressure exerted by the flanges thereof on the bell-shaped casings, will force the plate in into the opening 92 of the 'main casting until the beaded edge of the plate comes to a solid bearing on the casting, and hold it securely clamped in position.

To gain access to the valves and pipe connections back of the unit, it is only necessary to take the handles ofi' the valve stems and unscrew the tubular nuts and plate .H] can be bodily removed, thereby clearing the opening I2 in the main casting and exposing the piping, etc., through the opening.

As the construction and many important advantages of the invention will be apparent from the foregoing, it will not be necessary to further describe the same.

I claim:

' 1. A plumbing fixture for a bathroom comprising a recessed unit adapted to be set into a wall recess of a room above a tub to provide an open front housing for an inset handle assembly of the water supply pipes, said unit including an escutcheon member adapted to be secured within said wall recess in substantially' fiush relation to said wall, and a removable rear wall portion inset rearwardly from the plane of the escutcheon member and carrying a valve handle assembly including means for removably securing said rear Wall portion within said escutcheon member to give access to the rear of the unit.

2. The plumbing fixture described in claim 1 wherein the removable wall portion of the unit carrying the valve handle assembly is provided with integral forwardly extending conical sleevelike projections that are adapted to encircle and conceal the inner portion of the valve stems to which the handles are attached.

3. A plumbing fixture for a bathroom comprising a recessed unit adapted to be set into a wall recess of a room above a tub to provide n open front housing for an inset valve handle ssembly of the water supply pipes, said unit eluding an escutcheon member surrounding s id valve handle assembly housing and including top and bottom front flange portions extending respectively above and below said housing, and means carried by said escutcheon member defining an auxiliary compartment rearwardly of each of said flange portions, said flange portions each being provided with an access opening communicating respectively with said compartments, the upper wall portion of the lower compartment being cut away rearwardly of its front flange member to provide an opening into said housing, said front flange member adjacent said cut away portion being contoured and thickened to provide a hand hold.

HENRY GRUEN.

REFERENCES CITED E'he following references are of record in the file of this patent:

'UNI'I'ED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,414,792 Seither May 2, 1922 1,744,187 Webster Jan. 21, 1930 1,835,301 Hennessy Dec. 8, 1931 1,911,285 OBrien May 30, 1933 1,980,929 Potter Nov. 13, 1934 2,314,044 Hunting Mar. 16, 1943 FOREIGN PATENTS, Number Country Date 656,962 Germany Feb. 3, 1938 

